Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 55 Taking a Son-in-Law (Part 1)

Bian's face flushed red, and she walked over with a look of shame, her head lowered, not daring to meet Pei Qinghe's eyes: "Cousin Qinghe, I...I..."

"Head up, chest out, and look me in the eye when you speak."

Bian instinctively straightened her chest and raised her eyes.

Pei Qinghe looked at Bian Shi and said clearly and slowly, "You haven't done anything wrong, so why are you so flustered and ashamed?"

Bian's nose tingled, and her eyes instantly reddened: "It is customary for a woman to remain chaste for her deceased husband. I have been chaste for four years, and I should have been chaste for a lifetime..."

"Bullshit worldly customs!" Pei Qinghe cursed calmly. "When a woman dies, the man immediately marries and takes concubines. When a man dies, the woman is forced to live as a widow. These inhumane worldly customs should have been abolished long ago."

“Your cousin has been gone for four years, and you have been a widow for him for four years, taking care of your parents-in-law and raising Xiao Wan’er. You have not done anything to wrong your cousin.”

"The clan rule of taking a son-in-law is something I set. I'm very happy that you were the first to respond so enthusiastically. Just hold your head high and take a son-in-law into the family. From now on, you and your husband will be of one mind and live a good life. Any children you have will take the Pei surname and I will raise them."

Tears streamed down Bian's face.

Zhao Hai knelt down with a thud and kowtowed three times: "Thank you for your kindness, Sixth Miss. I will treat her well from now on and never be a heartless man. I swear now that if I ever betray her, may I be struck by lightning."

Pei Qinghe smirked: "God is too busy to bother with such trivial matters. If that day ever comes, there's no need to disturb God; I'll just chop you down with one stroke."

This is not a threat.

Anyone who has witnessed Pei Qinghe killing bandits knows firsthand how ruthless and merciless the girl before them is. If she says she'll cut you down with one strike, then it's one strike; there's no need for a second.

Bian wiped away her tears, knelt down, and kowtowed three times to Pei Qinghe.

Pei Qinghe reached out to help Bian Shi up, her voice gentle: "Does Xiao Wan'er know about your affairs?"

Bian was helped up against her will, and replied in a low voice, "I haven't told her yet."

"Tell her as soon as possible," Pei Qinghe said. "She's reached an age where she can understand things. Also, I'll make the decision for you. No matter who tries to persuade you in private, you don't need to pay any attention to them."

Several conservative elders of the Pei family stood up today to oppose the marriage proposal, including Bian's mother-in-law, Fang. She was certainly not happy about Bian taking a son-in-law, and although she dared not do so openly, she would definitely try to dissuade her behind her back.

With Pei Qinghe's support, Madam Bian could stand tall and invite a son-in-law into the family.

Tears streamed down Bian's face, but her heart was burning with passion. She nodded vigorously.

Pei Qinghe suddenly asked again, "Do you still remember your name?"

Bian was taken aback by the question: "Of course I remember, my maiden name is Shulan."

She married into the Pei family at sixteen, and eight years have passed since then. In these eight years, she was first Lady Bian, and then the mother of Xiao Wan'er. It has been a long time since anyone has called her by her name.

“Bian Shulan,” Pei Qinghe smiled slightly, “is a good name. From now on, everyone should call you by your name.”

Bian Shulan shuddered, as if struck by lightning. Something seemed to vanish into thin air, while something else seemed to be reborn within her body.

She was neither the vaguely defined daughter-in-law of the Pei family, nor the dispensable Bian Shi.

She is not only Xiao Wan'er's biological mother, she is also herself.

Bian Shulan's eyes shone with an unprecedented brilliance: "I understand."

Pei Qinghe then glanced at Zhao Hai, who was kneeling on the ground, of ordinary stature and unremarkable appearance: "Are you sure it's him? Should we wait a bit? I need to recruit refugees and hidden households into the village. In two years, you'll be able to find a strong and handsome son-in-law." Zhao Hai: "..."

Bian Shulan chuckled, reached out and helped Zhao Hai up. Then she replied earnestly, "It's him."

Pei Qinghe nodded and said, "You chose it yourself, so don't regret it later."

Bian Shulan, who was usually cautious and prudent, was unusually bold and joking today: "If I regret it, can I divorce my husband?"

Pei Qinghe stroked her chin, pondered for a moment, and said, "If things really don't go well, then we'll get a divorce. The child stays, but the man has to leave Pei Family Village. This should also be written into the clan rules."

Anyway, the clan rules can be supplemented at any time, and the right of interpretation lies with Pei Qinghe.

Zhao Hai clearly had some objections to this clan rule, but dared not utter a word.

Bian Shulan, however, felt completely relaxed and pleased. Everything Pei Qinghe said was to support and defend the women of the Pei family. Every single thing she said was in her favor.

Is this how men live? It's so carefree and unrestrained!
"The brand-new Pei Family Village will take more than half a year to build. You don't need to wait. I'll have someone clear out an empty thatched hut for you two to use as your bridal chamber. You'll get married in ten days."

"The conditions are simple now, so your wedding can only be done in a simple way. We'll buy two fat pigs, slaughter them, and everyone can get together for a hearty meal with meat and vegetables. That will be the end of the ceremony."

"A marriage certificate is needed. Zhao Hai is marrying into the Pei family, so it must be clearly stated in the marriage certificate."

Bian Shulan and Zhao Hai nodded in agreement with whatever Pei Qinghe said.

After Pei Qinghe left, Zhao Hai looked around like a thief, making sure no one was nearby, and quickly reached out to shake Bian Shulan's hand: "Shulan, don't ever chase me away again."

Bian Shulan pulled her hand back and glared at him, saying, "We're not married yet, so don't be so handsy. People will gossip if they see us."

Zhao Hai felt completely comfortable from the glare and quickly let go: "Okay, okay, I'll do whatever you say."

He wasn't ugly, just incredibly poor. Twenty-eight years old, and still unmarried. He'd thought he'd be a bachelor for life. When the army conscripted him to drive a cart, he barely panicked. His life had always been at rock bottom; how much lower could it go?

After only two days of traveling by cart, the sickly Bian Shulan was carried onto the grain cart.

The journey was inevitably bumpy. He deliberately slowed down and was extra careful when driving. He would also secretly bring water to Bian Shulan when no one was looking.

During the long journey of exile, the two did not exchange a word, but their eyes met silently countless times.

A sickly and lonely widow and a healthy and passionate bachelor—two equally lonely souls—quietly sparked a connection.

"It feels like a dream." Zhao Hai grinned and chuckled foolishly. "I'll soon have a wife and a daughter."

Bian Shulan smiled and said, "It's not a dream. With Qinghe by our side, we will definitely have a good life. We must remember Qinghe's kindness."

"Need I say more?" Zhao Hai puffed out his chest. "From now on, Miss Pei Liu is my benefactor. If she asks me to go through fire and water, I won't even flinch."

Bian Shulan felt even more grateful to Pei Qinghe than to Zhao Hai.

As a woman, she was bound by numerous rules. Without Pei Qinghe's support, she simply couldn't have taken this step. She would forever remain Bian Shi.

Now, she wants to be Bian Shulan.

(End of this chapter)